Preparing to go credit card-less for one month

Hide my two credit cards in my jewelry box so they are out of sight, out of mind.

Average my credit card bills from Jan, Feb, and March and set that as my spending limit for April.

Head to my local bank branch to withdraw a fat roll of cash (my average credit spending from the past three months).

Carry around $100 at a time for security.

Begin spending!

My biggest concerns are safety, not having enough cash on me, and figuring out what to do about online purchases that require credit. I’ve decided to keep paying two bills – cell phone and student loan – as I have in the past, through a transfer from my checking account. These bills are consistent month to month and I don’t have the option to not pay them. My focus is on how using cash changes my day-to-day spending, not my fixed expenses. Remember how I got into this mess?

Okay! Ready, set…cash!

UPDATE: Joe asks:

Does that also mean no debit cards? I don’t use credit cards often, but I live by my debit card.

Yes, Joe, that means no debit cards. I’m going to be free of plastic!

Janet has a neat system that tricks her brain into thinking she only has cash:

My credit card is buried behind my drivers lic. I forget it is there but should I need it, I have it. I have learned to use cash because there is a huge difference in how I look at the cost of an item based on how I pay for it. This is been a modification in behavior, for sure.

Comments

My credit card is buried behind my drivers lic. I forget it is there but should I need it, I have it. I have learned to use cash because there is a huge difference in how I look at the cost of an item based on how I pay for it. This is been a modification in behavior, for sure.

Leaving your cc behind when shopping is a great savings idea … however, remember, as long as you pay the statement off each month, use the credit card to pay any bills like auto/homeowners/eq insurance premiuns so you’ll get points. I mean, you’d have to write out a check to pay these bills when they come in, right, so you might as well get points from the cc company. It’s not like insurance premiums are optional purchases.

Good luck with this one, Julia. I’m sure you can be successful. I do think that Janet’s idea to bury one card behind your DL is a good one. That way, should you come up against a genuine need for a CC, you’re prepared.